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The Kemp conundrum
Matt Kemp ((USATSI))
Owners are clearly frustrated with Matt Kemp. Our Scott White preaches patience and encourages you to buy low (right now!) in his latest Reality Check. Full story
Related Links:
•  FBT on Demand: Prospects Report
• Probables | Two-start SPs | Depth Charts
• 2013 Rankings: Head-to-Head | Rotisserie
• Week 7 starts & sits: Pitchers | Hitters
•  Give a listen to our daily Fantasy podcast!
Experts
Scott White
Senior Fantasy Writer
 
Reality Check: Time to buy low on Kemp?
 
Follow Scott  |  Archive


Nando Di Fino
Senior Fantasy Writer
 
Bullpen Report: Closer situations are a mixed bag
 
Follow Nando  |  Archive



More Columns
 
Rankings
 
Projections
 
Probable Pitchers
 
Most Added Players
Player% ±
1Scott Kazmir, CLE, SP53
2Mitch Moreland, TEX, 1B36
3James Loney, TB, 1B36
4Kelly Johnson, TB, 2B31
5Heath Bell, ARI, RP29
6Francisco Liriano, PIT, SP26
7Ryan Doumit, MIN, DH21
8Jeff Locke, PIT, SP20
9Oswaldo Arcia, MIN, RF20
10Gerardo Parra, ARI, RF18
Most Dropped Players
Player% ±
1Joel Hanrahan, BOS, RP-37
2Roy Halladay, PHI, SP-16
3J.J. Putz, ARI, RP-15
4Jonathon Niese, NYM, SP-14
5Jake Westbrook, STL, SP-13
6Felix Doubront, BOS, SP-13
7Daniel Murphy, NYM, 2B-12
8A.J. Pierzynski, TEX, C-12
9Chris Johnson, ATL, 3B-12
10J.A. Happ, TOR, SP-12
Average Draft Position
 
 
Player News
Ramon Ortiz impresses again in first victory
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com
(10:07 pm ET) Blue Jays starter Ramon Ortiz enjoyed plenty of run support during his start Wednesday night at home against the San Francisco Giants. Toronto scored 10 times over the first three innings and Ortiz left the game with an 11-1 lead.

He was able to cruise to victory for his first win of the year as he improved to 1-1 for Toronto over three starts. Ortiz allowed just one earned run coming on a Pablo Sandoval sacrifice fly in the first inning. Otherwise, the Giants could not score off him over 100 pitches. He gave up six hits and walked one with one strikeout.

Ortiz, 39, was a bit shaky in his first start of the season back on April 17 against the White Sox. However, he started May 10 at Boston and allowed just one run over five innings in a loss. He's given up just two runs over his last 12 innings and has impressed manager John Gibbons.

The Toronto rotation has been hindered by injuries with J.A. Happ and Josh Johnson both on the shelf. Ricky Romero has been unable to find the strike zone consistently. Because of that, Gibbons must keep turning to Ortiz, MLB.com reports. His next start should come Monday or Tuesday against Tampa Bay.

"One thing about Ortiz is he competes; he's been around. He knows what this level of baseball is all about," Gibbons said. "He relies on hitting his spots and getting a lot of ground balls like he did the other day. If he does that, he should be effective."

Chris Stewart goes yard
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com
(10:04 pm ET) Yankees catcher Chris Stewart homered on Wednesday during a 12-2 loss to the Mariners. Stewart went deep in the fifth inning for a solo shot, his third of the year. 

The New York backstop went 1 for 4 and is batting .258. He has hit in three straight games and has two homers over his last 10 contests. 


Jon Niese uses mirror to remedy mechanics
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com
(10:03 pm ET) Mets starting pitcher Jonathon Niese has surrendered 15 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings over two starts in May, and he's taken interesting steps to get past his slow start. Niese has been working on his mechanics in front of a weight room mirror, MLB.com reports.

"Whenever I had free time, I just stepped in front of a mirror and went through my mechanics, and made sure everything's on line," Niese told MLB.com. "I can feel when it's right."

Niese added that he's over the back soreness that hampered him earlier this month. He'll try to turn his season around Thursday against the Cardinals.


Late damage lands Yovani Gallardo with loss
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com
(10:02 pm ET) Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo dropped his second straight start on Wednesday night against the Pirates. He allowed two runs on three hits with four walks over six innings of work in a 3-1 loss.

The right-hander made it through his first five frames scoreless before running into trouble in the sixth. In that inning, he loaded the bases before Neil Walker drove in two with a single.

Gallardo, who threw 97 pitches, also struck out five while taking his third loss.

His next start is scheduled for Monday against the Dodgers.

Phil Hughes awful over 2/3 of an inning
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com
(10:02 pm ET) Yankees starter Phil Hughes didn't stick around very long on Wednesday night at home against Seattle. Hughes pitched poorly, lasting just two outs into the first inning in a 12-2 defeat.

Hughes threw 36 pitches -- 23 strikes -- and surrendered seven earned runs on six hits -- including a grand slam by former teammate Raul Ibanez -- before being lifted in favor of Preston Claiborne.

The 26-year-old walked two and did not strike out a batter as he fell to 2-3 with his ERA growing to 5.88. Hughes had won two straight starts entering Wednesday, but has given up 13 earned runs over his last two outings spanning just 6 1/3 innings.

Hughes will have to turn things around again in a hurry after his ERA rose above 5.00. With an ugly WHIP of 1.55 and a .314 batting average against, Hughes has really struggled to begin the year. His next scheduled start comes Monday at Baltimore.

Assessing Tim Hudson's skid
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(9:58 pm ET) Braves starting pitcher Tim Hudson has the worst ERA of his career after another subpar start Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, and it is time to assess whether things are going to get any better for him.

So far, Hudson's main issue has been pitching out of jams with runners in scoring position; batters are hitting .385 against him with runners on second or third, compared to just .249 otherwise. As a result, 35.1 percent of all base runners have come around to score on him, a career-high rate. Entering the season, Hudson has allowed just 26.2 percent of base runners to come around and score on him in his career, so that is the biggest reason for his struggles.

Hudson is still racking up groundballs at a high rate, though he does have an abnormally high 13.6 home run per fly ball percentage. It is a bit of a generalization, but strand rate and home run per fly ball rate are based, at least partially, on chance, so Hudson could easily see those numbers turn around.

Hudson stands a pretty solid chance of turning his season around moving forward, so I wouldn't give up on him just yet. 


Brett Marshall throws 108 pitches in debut
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com
(9:56 pm ET) Yankees reliever Brett Marshall made his major league debut on Wednesday against the Mariners after being recalled earlier in the day. After starter Phil Hughes lasted just 2/3 of an inning and Preston Claiborne went 2 1/3, Marshall went 5 2/3 frames and was removed with two outs in the top of the ninth. 

Marshall allowed five earned runs on nine hits and five walks over 108 pitches for the Yankees. He surrendered two homers and struck out one as manager Joe Girardi let him go deep in order to help save the New York bullpen. 

Marshall, a starter at Triple-A, was 2-2 with a 4.60 ERA in six starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He struck out 29 and walked 21 in 31 1/3 innings.


Daniel Bard yields five walks at Double-A
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com
(9:52 pm ET) Red Sox reliever Daniel Bard, who is pitching at Double-A Portland, continues to suffer from command issues, WEEI.com reported Wednesday. His inability to find the strike zone has almost reached the point of crisis mode. 

On Wednesday, Bard gave up a hit, unleashed two wild pitches and walked five batters over one inning. He gave up two runs in that inning. Bard worked around two walks in the sixth inning before recording three outs. He then walked all three batters he faced in the seventh before being removed. 

In five appearances since returning to Double-A after a brief promotion to the big leagues, Bard has thrown strikes on just 34 percent of his pitches. He has 13 walks over 3 2/3 innings. 


Chad Jenkins impressing in rotation
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com
(9:46 pm ET) The Toronto rotation has seen injuries to Josh Johnson and J.A. Happ while Ricky Romero continues to pitch inconsistent baseball. Because of that, Chad Jenkins has been able to emerge for manager John Gibbons, MLB.com reported Wednesday. 

Jenkins held Boston to just two earned runs Sunday and impressed general manager Alex Anthopoulos in the process. The GM said it was the best he's ever seen Jenkins perform. 

The Blue Jays have tabbed Jenkins' next start to come either Monday or Tuesday at home against Tampa Bay. Because that start is a week away, Jenkins was available to pitch out of the bullpen Wednesday. 


John Gast to see another start
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com
(9:17 pm ET) Cardinals manager Mike Matheny confirmed on Wednesday that John Gast will receive another start. Gast, who is filling in for the injured Jake Westbrook, is scheduled to start Sunday against the Brewers.

The left-hander allowed four runs on six hits over six innings of work while winning his major-league debut Tuesday night.

 
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Fan Poll

Which of these early-round disappointments would you rather own for the remainder of 2013?

Matt Kemp
54%
Josh Hamilton
15%
Albert Pujols
31%

Total Votes: 533

Share your answer with other fans!

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